- ILLUSTRATION BY SHEA GOITIA

Men might be biologically predisposed to cheat on their partners

Date published: 10/2/2008

BY STEPHANIE BOSCOVITCH

"Men are rats. Listen to me--they're fleas on rats. Worse than that, they're amoebas on fleas on rats. I mean, they're too low for even the dogs to bite. The only man a girl can depend on is a daddy," said Frenchy in "Grease."

She is right. Men can be complete rats--or even pigs. What's more impressive is that Frenchy's words forecasted something: Men and rats share some of the same genetic qualities in allele 334.

Recently, a study by the National Institute of Mental Health showed that an allele found in certain voles (a type of rodent) that were guilty of infidelity could also be found in two out of every five men.

Later, after conducting a study among Swedish men at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, scientists found that men can have zero, one or two copies of the allele in their DNA, causing them to have commitment issues or relationship dysfunction in general. Maybe this explains the famous sayings "boys will be boys" and "like father, like son."

However, this new discovery is not a reason for dumping a mate, and not every guy one meets should be taken to the science lab. Humans can have any gene; but it's their own actions that decide their fate.

For example, many humans live with genes that predispose them to diabetes or heart complications. But living a healthy lifestyle can keep such illnesses from ever developing.

Everyone--man or woman, cheating or not cheating--can do things that affect his or her life heavily. Therefore, this gene shouldn't be used as an excuse. Men who find out they have the gene, or feel as though they do, shouldn't just blame their actions on having bad DNA.

So, girls, this new knowledge can either make us happy--because our mate is allele-334-free--or it can cause us more stress knowing our mate is a ticking time-bomb for cheating.

But honestly, knowing your partner had two cheating alleles in his DNA wouldn't make anyone comfortable. Knowing he had one allele and that there was a possibility of infidelity would probably be even worse. The only thing to do in this case is to have faith and try to pick the best mate for you.

Stephanie Boscovitch is a junior at Riverbend High School.

Date published: 10/2/2008